Stories from our Churches

Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Unite Under the Rainbow: Open Table Warrington Marks 10 Years of Inclusive Worship

Open Table Warrington celebrated its 10th birthday with a full day of worship, creativity, and community connection at St John’s United Reformed Church on Sunday 13th July. Themed “Unite Under the Rainbow,” the event brought together long-standing members and first-time visitors to mark a decade of radical welcome and LGBTQIA+ inclusion in faith.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Young Messy Church helper gains Lundie award

Fourteen-year-old James Ineichen, from Christ Church, Port Sunlight URC , has been named June’s recipient of the Lundie Memorial Award. James, was nominated by Susan Frowe, an Elder and Messy Church leader at Christ Church, Port Sunlight URC.


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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

URC Vicars Cross Marks 60 Years at the Heart of the Community

The United Reformed Church in Vicars Cross recently celebrated a major milestone, marking 60 years since its founding in the community. On the weekend of 28th–29th June, 2025, the church opened its doors and gardens to welcome the entire Vicars Cross community. The celebrations showcased the many ways in which God has been at work in the life of the church over the past six decades. The Lord Mayor of Chester, Clir Sherin Akhtar and Clir Elizabeth MacGlashen also attended along with local Parish Councillors.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Wings of the Sky: A Sanctuary Seeking Initiative by The Plum Project

The Plum Project, an initiative of the Uniting Church in Garden Lane, played a vital role in Wings of the Sky, a creative arts production rooted in the Sanctuary Seeking movement. The project was designed to involve local people seeking sanctuary through participatory arts and culminated in a moving performance at Chester Cathedral as a prelude to Refugee Week. Funding for Plum’s contribution to Wings of the Sky came from a combination of sources: Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWACC), the Mersey Synod Mission Grant, and individual donations.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

An opportunity for us to share God’s word: Christ Church Haydock’s Junior Youth Club’s Synod Mission Grant

Christ Church Haydock URC’s Junior Youth Club is open to all primary school age children in the community and is growing by the week with nearly 70 members. Children start off by listening to a short talk based around God’s word before choosing from a range of activities: football, table tennis, board games or crafts. Throughout the year, the Church also holds a number of ‘family night’ events which again provide the opportunity for to share God’s word, not only with the children, but with their parents too.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

‘A Reimagined Worship’ faith and theatre combine to create innovative Sunday worship

‘A Reimagined Worship’ is an intergenerational, community collaboration, where faith and theatre have been combined to create an innovative Sunday worship. Designed and led by Marrissa Thorpe, ten weekly workshops saw volunteer participants from St Columba URC engaged in collective service planning to assess the capacity for experimental worship within the United Reformed Church.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Seacombe URC’s Mission to be a social and spiritual hub within the community 

Seacombe URC has always been there for its community and is now rebuilding and redeveloping to continue meeting the needs of its neighbours. The old church building is being repurposed into a multi-functional building suitable for use as a community resource as well as a worshipping church. It is hoped to be completed in 2026 and has been assisted with funding from Mersey Synod Large Project Scheme. But why and how did the church come to develop this project? What does it mean for the community in Seacombe – spiritually and socially?

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Happy 200th Birthday to St Andrew's URC Douglas

A wonderful service took place recently (14-16th March 2025) to celebrate 200 years of worship at St Andrew's URC Douglas. The Mersey Synod Moderator, Revd Geoff Felton, and Revd Catherine McFie visited the Isle of Man to join with St. Andrews Church in Douglas to celebrate their 200th Anniversary. The congregation was also joined by Victoria James, Chief Operating Officer of the URC, and Revd Dawn Mather, the most recent minister of the church. The service was led by Theunis Bassage and Richard Karran.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Minister makes a return to Blundellsands and Crosby

Revd Keith Hulse was first inducted as a URC Minister 28 years ago and is now leading Blundellsands & Crosby URC in ministry, with one of his first events raising £1,000 for the Church’s Community Garden.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

The Christian faith is about being there for our community: Christ Church Haydock URC rally to help those affected by flooding

Christ Church Haydock URC stepped up to set up a donation point for those affected by flooding in the area this month. Neil Fairhurst, secretary at Christ Church Haydock URC, told the St Helen’s Star, “We got the call from St Helens Council on New Year's Day to see if we could open the church as a hub and of course we said yes. The Christian faith is about being there for our community and we are happy to be doing just that…“It’s awful that people are going through this but the kindness from others offering help has been good to see.”

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

Causeway Community Garden grows with RHS Award and Co-op Community Funding

St John's URC Warrington’s Causeway Community Garden has gained another Level 5 Outstanding Award Certificate from the RHS. Part of the Northwest in Bloom It’s Your Neighbourhood scheme, the awards are for bringing members local communities together to make a positive change. This year, the Garden also received two grant payments from the Co-op Local Community Fund through the customers’ loyalty cards scheme.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

St Andrew’s Meols URC engage environmental changes to gain Eco Church Bronze Award 

A number of environmental initiatives have led to an Eco Church Bronze Award for St Andrew’s Meols URC. The Award recognised the Church’s efforts to care for God’s earth in Worship and Teaching, Management of Buildings and Land Community and Global Engagement Lifestyle. Initiatives included a monthly community recycling project, regular eco communications, use of the community garden, the wide-spread use of LED lights, extensive double glazing and new heating in the main church.

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Clare Coombes Clare Coombes

St. David’s URC Eastham deliver Ecumenical Day of creative Worship and Praise using Synod Mission Grant

Ladies Day at St. David’s URC Eastham brought in women at all stages of Christian faith to a day of creative worship where they could relax, enjoy and participate in each other’s company. They left with a renewed sense of love, hope and mission as they shared the Good News with others, responding to human need by loving service.  A day of creative worship and praise.

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Leading your Church into Growth

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